During the time of slavery, the men, women, and children who had worked so hard bringing in the harvest were sometimes allowed one night to celebrate the completion of their wearisome tasks. This story takes place during one of those nights. Jess has always wanted to be the special boy who is allowed to help the fiddler during the corn-shucking party. He wants to be the one who gets to keep time by beating on the old man's fiddle with a pair of sturdy straws. However, wishing is one thing and making sure your wish comes true is something else. Irene Smalls's story of one boy's determination to succeed has been glowingly illustrated by Melodye Rosales, and the combination of their talents creates a vivid vignette of a people's strength and spirit during the terrible days of slavery.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 2-5-In this tale based on slave narratives, Smalls presents little-known traditions and unfamiliar figures of speech. At the annual corn-shucking party, seven-year-old Jess longs to be the "strawbeater" who, according to the author's note, "stands behind a fiddler, reaches around his left shoulder, and beats on the strings while the fiddle is being played, in the manner of a snare drum." He must wrestle Nathaniel, a bigger boy, for the honor, and when he is chosen for his tenacity rather than his brawn, the festivities begin. There is dancing, singing, good-natured competition, and plenty of food. The story line is somewhat stilted and would require some historical background to be fully appreciated. Rosales's vibrant, full-color oil paintings carry the emotion and spirit of the day. The bright, bold reds and browns add a sense of power and strength. This is not as satisfying as Patricia and Fredrick McKissack's Christmas in the Big House, Christmas in the Quarters (Scholastic, 1994), but it helps to fill out the life stories of slaves and presents an interesting glimpse of a harvest celebration of the period.
Beth Tegart, Oneida City Schools, NY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Beth Tegart, Oneida City Schools, NY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Ages 7^-10. In a story based on slave narratives, Smalls focuses on a description of a corn-husking party, when slaves were allowed one night of celebration after the harvest. In late November, the slaves join together from surrounding farms to shuck corn, to eat, and, finally, to dance. Each year, a straw beater is selected--a young boy who stands behind the fiddler with a pair of straws to beat the fiddle strings like a drum. The means of selection is a wrestling match. Seven-year-old Jess is determined to triumph over Nathaniel, who's always been chosen as straw beater. But Nathaniel is twice Jess' size, and the odds seem a mite slim. On the big night, Jess is thrown twice, and Sis Wisa, Jess' mom who watches from the sidelines, winces. But it's not over till it's over, and in one last-ditch effort, Jess grabs Nathaniel and hangs on for all he's worth. Finally, someone in the crowd shouts, "Can we git to the dancin'?" and the fiddler picks Jess. The warm, glowing illustrations contribute much to the impact of this remarkable story--a story that celebrates the determination of one small boy. Shelley Townsend-Hudson
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Strawbeaters Thanksgiving is a wonderful book for all ages,
By A Customer
This review is from: A Strawbeater's Thanksgiving (Hardcover)
In the story A Strawbeater's Thanksgiving, Irene Smalls uses narratives written by slaves to write a delightful book about the heart and strength of people living in horrible times. With the colorful pictures and the wonderful plot, Smalls's book will entertain and inspire all of its readers. Smalls began the book with a mother and her child working in the "trash gang" during the corn harvest. The mother knew that the boy "had high ideas" for himself and she wanted him to have a better life than that of a slave. The boy simply wanted to be the strawbeater at the celebration that the slaves attended when the harvest was in. The strawbeater was the lucky boy who got to stand behind the person playing the fiddle and beat on the strings like a drum. In order to get the honor of doing this, he had to stand up against an older boy who had been the strawbeater for a long time. Melodye Benson Rosales did a beautiful job illustrating the book. All of the paintings that were used filled the book with excitement. The realistic expression of the faces of the slaves worked well with Smalls's story to bring the book to life. When the slaves were smiling at the celebration, or exhausted from the day's work, Rosales brilliantly brought out the mood with her use of color. In the scene where a young slave girl is bringing an old man a plate of dinner, all if the minute details that were presented by the story were incorporated into the illustration by Rosales. The smiles on the faces of the two people are perfect for the moods presented by Smalls. The plot in Smalls's story is full of inspiration. The young boy in the story is presented with a challenge that he must face in order to accomplish his dreams. In the scene where Jess, the young boy, gets pushed down by the older boy, Nathaniel, he still was not ready to give up his dream. "I'se gon be strawbeater!" he yelled back at Nathaniel while lying in the dirt. Jess's mother was always very supportive of him and would tell him stories about the corn shucking parties. Irene Smalls did a beautiful job incorporating her moral into the story while making it interesting to both young readers and to adults. Anyone who reads her book will be inspired by Jess's courage. Irene Smalls and Melodye Benson Rosales work together to create a wonderful story full of beautiful pictures and life. The expression in Rosales paintings, brought excitement to the story, while Smalls's plot brought courage and a moral that will captivate all of their readers. By standing up for his dreams, Jess was able to overcome great odds to become the strawbeater. All readers could use a little bit of his courage in their every-day lives. Briana Beckworth
5.0 out of 5 stars
Glowing! Excellent!,
This review is from: A Strawbeater's Thanksgiving (Hardcover)
This book truly glows! Both the story and illustrations are warm, loving and full of life. A festive atmosphere of hope and thankfulness for what happiness is possible even amongst the harshness of a slave's daily life is warmly conveyed. I particularly valued the fact that this book depicts an alternate (rather than traditional) view of the Thanksgiving holiday. Thanksgiving is what you make of it. This book can be particularly meaningful to those whose ancestors came to America as slaves, as they see their own history in the story.
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